Mid-Atlantic Gardening: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GITA!, 0 by ViburnumValley

ViburnumValley wrote:
Zoom in on those morsels - they are not cupcakes.

Those are actually four flavors of chocolate truffles. In order from left to right are

1) Bourbon and Sea Salt
2) Simply Chocolate
3) Chambord
4) Grand Marnier

Be honest? Awww....where's the fun in that?

Those confections are delicacies that Mrs. VV concocts as part of her second job - Viburnum Valley Farm Confections. Her delights show up here on DG rather regularly. I am responsible for Quality Control - which makes the world safe to consume these. On this occasion, I did perform the arrangement and photography.

Regarding the aged Chinese woman story, I was just joking around. She was blessed to live 117 years, but still having to tend to a 92 year old "young 'un" - who can't seem to cut the apron strings.

You may or may not be surprised to know that - for a Kentuckian - I travel through the metroplex rather often these days. As KY trustee, I am in DC in late April/early May every spring for a four-day trustees midyear meeting for the American Society of Landscape Architects. I am also currently President of the Holly Society of America (have you planted a holly today?) which requires me to travel to Millville NJ in mid June every year to the midyear HSA trustees meeting there.

I always threaten to stop in on DGers in the corridor that I drive through on the way to these meetings. Some of them are foolish enough to take me up on it, and lived to tell the tale. Many of Mrs. VV's confections often travel with me - as well as wine to pair with them and any other food I might stumble upon.

Baltimore has more than its fair share of good nurseries, and excellent plantspeople that are HSA members. I've visited with several on the north side of town, and I never drive through without visiting McLean Nurseries (Bill Kuhl, Esq. proprietor, landscape architect, and stalwart HSA member).

This fall (October 28 - Nov. 1, 2015) the 68th Annual Meeting of HSA will be held in Hunt Valley MD. I'll be there to preside over the proceedings. Never shrinking from an opportunity to advance the institution, I invite all in Mid-At to consider attending - for a day or the whole sha-bang. Lots of good people (like here!) that are generous with plants and plant knowledge. To know and grow more holly...

http://www.hollysocam.org/meetings.htm

A few more images of the chocolate truffles - what they look like when not participating in a birthday event...

1. Full trays of heavenly goodness
2. Closeup of Bourbon and Sea Salt (with salt, not coconut)
3. Simply Chocolate
4. Chambord
5. Grand Marnier (the ones with gold dust, above the coconut ones)